The greatest rivalry in college sports, with the two ACC schools separated by eight miles, was as intense as ever. You could feel it in the air at the Dean Dome right from the opening tip. Duke got the W as the Tar Heels fell to 2-7 in the ACC. Wow!

The Tar Heels were in a must-win situation in my opinion. A victory could have springboarded North Carolina to bounce back from a slow league start and compete for an NCAA berth.

North Carolina played with a chip on its shoulder. It showed that if you play great defense, you have the opportunity to get to the winner's circle. That was an area of concern during the Tar Heels' 1-6 run prior to their Wednesday night clash against the Dukies.

n breaking it down, however, the key difference was leadership and reliable scoring. You knew that Duke could count on Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, but the Tar Heels were searching for someone to step up in clutch time. Execution and efficiency down the stretch was another key for Duke.